1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for cutting or scribing circles and other shaped forms onto material, especially devices which support the material to be cut on an integrally mounted table. Such devices can typically be used for cutting or drawing on photographs, paper, cloth, plastics, glass, metal, or similar thin sheet material, but the invention is not restricted to such applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several types of devices for cutting shapes in photographs, photo mats, or similar materials have been employed in the art. One rotary cutter device for making only circular cuts in photographs or similar materials has been marketed for several years by Artistic Photo Plate Creations, Inc. of 120 W. Dayton Street, Suite A-2, Edmonds, Wash. 98020. This rotary cutter device employs a circular stand with a rotatable table mounted to the center of the stand. There is additionally an arm extending outwardly and upwardly from the stand which in turn supports a beam member disposed over the table. A cutting implement can be mounted on that beam member and slidably moved to various positions along that beam member over the rotatable table. The beam member always overlies the table in the same position regardless of the position of the cutting implement or the desired size of the circle to be cut.
Another circle cutter apparatus has recently been commercialized by Artistic Photo Plate Creations, Inc. This precision circle cutter has a rotatable table on which the material to be worked upon is placed. The cutting implement is mounted on an articulated cutter arm which can be adjusted to overlie the rotatable table only as far as necessary to have the cutting implement contact the material to be worked upon at the selected point. Rotation of the table then results in a circular cut on the material. This device, however, is only capable of making circular cuts in materials.
Other devices for cutting circular or oval shapes in photographic mats or similar materials have been marketed by Leichtung Workshop, Inc. of 4944 Commerce Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44128, in systems that involve securing the device on the object to be cut and having a cutter arm rotate about the device to make a circular cut, or that make use of a peg and guide system to have the device make an oval cut. These devices are marketed by Leichtung as the Oval/Circle Mat Cutters, Straight Edge Mat Kit, Oval Mat Kit, or the EZ Hand Mat Cutter.
Additionally, several patents pertain to devices similar to the ones noted above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,574 teaches a photographic print circle cutter consisting of a central disc on which is mounted a rotatable arm with a cutting implement that can be adjusted to follow any of a number of circular patterns at various radii from the center. This device, however, requires that the disc be placed on top of or adjacent to the material to be cut so that the axis of rotation of the cutter arm is over the center of the circular shape of the material to be cut.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,736 teaches a pressure sensitive picture frame mat cutter which focuses primarily on a pressure sensitive adjustment for the cutting implement to control the depth of the cut in a picture frame mat. This device, through a cable attached thereto used in conjunction with pins placed on the material to be cut, can inscribe circular, oval or other shapes on the material to be cut.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,222 teaches an apparatus for cutting various forms out of a picture frame mat, and is based upon an adaptation of a mechanism known as the "Oval Master", manufactured by C & H Manufacturing Company of Jackson, Miss.; this patent teaches a system of gears, chains, and attachments to the Oval Master device to allow reciprocating motion of an arm attached to the cutting implement to form irregular or scalloped shapes on circular, oval, or other shapes outlined by the device.
Similar devices can be used in different applications, such as appear in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,025, a circle cutter particularly adapted to be used to position a welding or cutting implement to trace a circular shape. This device requires placement onto the material on which the cut is to be made.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,543 teaches a material shaping platform with multiple or exchangeable templates, a rotatable platen mounted to a mechanism allowing reciprocating movement in accordance with the engagement of template cams with the rotating mechanism for the shaft of the rotatable platform. This device does not have any provision for an integrally attached mechanism for supporting and positioning a cutting implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,220 teaches a stationary cutter device which can secure a cutting implement and under which glass or similar materials to be inscribed may be moved.
Of general background interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,073, which teaches an infinitely variable drawing instrument involving connected arms moved by gearing mechanisms to draw shapes on materials mounted on a rotary platform.
The disadvantage inherent in many of these prior art inventions is that they require placement of the cutting or scribing device on the material to be worked upon or can make only circular cuts. The present invention allows the material to be worked upon to be placed on the rotatable table with the capability of a variety of shapes being made on the material by the single point of the cutting or scribing implement bearing against the material, which in turn is supported by the table. While the prior art marketed by Artistic Photo Plate Creations, Inc. of Bothell, Wash. provides a platform supporting the material and an articulated cutter arm with only the single point of the cutting implement contacting the face of the photograph or similar material, it is only capable of making circular cuts. The earlier prior art of Artistic Photo Plate Creations, Inc. further has the disadvantage of having a beam member hanging over the rotatable table at all times that the cutting implement is in use, with that beam member always being in the same position regardless of the radius of the cut being made. The present invention incorporates the articulated cutter arm, which can be adjusted to overlie the platen only as far as necessary to have the cutting implement make contact with the material at the point the incision is to be made, and which thus allows a clear view of the material and the cut being made and thus providing conditions for finer control of the cutting process.
Further, the prior art of Artistic Photo Plate Creations, Inc. does not provide for means of making other than circular cuts in the material to be cut. The present invention, through its use of template cams and a mounting for the rotatable table that is movable to allow it to be displaced in congruence with the form of the template cam, allows, in addition to circles, numerable shapes as presented by the template cam to be cut or inscribed on the material to be worked upon. Thus, the invention, in addition to having the advantages noted above of the articulated cutter arm, also allows various shapes of template cams to be cut.
The invention provides simple construction, ready assembly, easy interchange of template cams, and the articulated cutter arm assembly which is unique among the prior art pertinent to this invention.